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Chapter 14: The Show Must Go On!

Ever since the war ended, Fairy Tail made fast progress to repair the guildhall. It was only a day since the battle concluded and the request board had been restored by Mirajane and Max. Everyone celebrated the return of it, specifically Nab.

Mirajane and Erza were in charge of budgeting the money given by the Magic Council to cover the expenses of the construction of the new guildhall. Lucy half-considered taking the money under their noses, but considering the two women were S-Class wizards, that was a high improbability.

Her payment for her rent was due soon, and the request board barely had any jobs available for a mage like her. And simply put: all the jobs fulfilling her rent money were too advanced for a novice mage for her to take alone. Not that taking Natsu or Gray along ever helped, they would argue in the middle of a crisis.

Sitting on the bar stools, she wailed. "At this rate, I'll be kicked out of my apartment!"

Mirajane stirred a spoon into the coffee she offered to Laki, who described the drink as, "poison that would never quench her thirst."

The She-Devil smiled at the commentary, finding it very like her to say something so unpleasant. Turning to Lucy, she slid a glass of orange juice in her direction. "Why the long face, Lucy?"

"I can't go on any job that will pay my rent and it's due in a few days! The landlady's been cranky ever since I moved here, and she doesn't understand! Greedy businessmen and their nature."

Mirajane slid her hand under the counter, where multiple drawers lay on produced a job request paying a good hundred thousand jewels. "Don't call it quits yet, Lucy. I have the perfect job for you. I think you should bring along as many people as you can, it's more fun that way."

"You mean more destructive?"

"It's impossible to destroy anything with a job like this!"

Lucy half-considered it, and when she read the contents of the request, it seemed mildly entertaining. "You're right. Nothing can go wrong with a play."

"I think you should especially take Erza, she admires the art of acting. She's a wonderful actress, if you ask me."

Lucy gave it a thought, and considered it. Erza aced everything, be it fighting many opponents simultaneously to the simplest of tasks. A bit lopsided in her fashion statements, but a talented mage, nonetheless.

Their small talk was interrupted by a loud bang. Mirajane and Lucy turned around to confront the source. Erza chucked a barrel at Laxus threateningly, which ended up being hurled at Gray when Laxus sidestepped it. "How dare you?"

With Jellal gone to the Magic Council for his court trial with Makarov, she was the only one left to deal with Laxus. His arrogant tone resounded the guildhall's remains. "You heard me loud and clear. This guild is full of weaklings, especially the two of you." He pointed at Jet and Droy. "You two were Phantom's personal punching bags. You know, I'm glad I never bothered learning your names."

He turned towards Mirajane and Lucy. "Which brings me to the worst of them all, the rich little princess wanna-be wizard."

Mirajane placed her hands on her hips, "Laxus! You need to shut up. You hadn't bothered helping us, despite knowing Master was sick and we were at a massive disadvantage."

"Quit your whining nonsense, Mirajane. Tell me, did Jellal come to help you? Is that why you resorted to asking me for help?"

At this, nobody's anger was nearly comparable to Erza's. "Jellal did more than you could ever imagine! He...he was about to die fighting for Fairy Tail. You will never understand the pain he had to endure for this war. You can't compare yourself to him!"

Laxus' eyes narrowed, plastering his same smug smile. "For someone so refined, you're very emotional, Erza."

She had been past the point of anger as he provoked her, but it wasn't her who decided to strike down Laxus. Natsu hollered as he ran dead straight for the S-Class mage. "Let's settle this with two fists, Laxus!"

Natsu's scarf grazed Erza's fingertips as she warned him. "Natsu, no!"

As quick as he came, Laxus appeared behind him just as fast, striking Natsu down to the ground. Everyone gasped, not daring to move. Erza's footsteps echoed the tense atmosphere as she grabbed the young mage by his scarf and hauled him up. Laxus spoke up, looking down upon everyone smugly. "I'm telling you, there will come a day where I will take over this guild. Your days in Fairy Tail are numbered. That, I can promise you."

Laxus dissipated into the air, leaving, Erza, Natsu, and whatever anger they had left, filling the voids of the guildhall. Jellal's captivity almost felt surreal to Erza, like it had been a dream that was left to be forgotten. Meaningless. She turned to Natsu and sighed. "Why did you aimlessly challenge him? You weren't going to win, anyway."

Natsu looked like he had swallowed something bitter. "You should have a little faith in me, Erza. I'll get back at him, just you watch!"

She felt like she was talking to his younger self. "You never grow up, do you?"

He swatted her hand away and crossed his arms, responding with his stubborn silence. Erza could only manage a small smile.

A presence behind her caused Erza to turn around, and her wobbly smile turned into a sigh of relief upon seeing Jellal. "You're back."

He nodded, "Everything seems to be fine here. It's a relief we've made a fast recovery."

From behind them, Simon slung his arms around both Jellal and Erza, surprising them. "Good to see you well, Jellal. And Erza, you seem to be fine."

Erza managed a grin, one that matched Simon's. "As always. Jellal's a little fragile these days."

He eyed Erza, "Are you provoking me?"

"Maybe," came her vague response. Simon raised an eyebrow at Jellal, who replied just as cluelessly.

Simon started, "What went on in the Magic Council? I'm assuming you didn't receive any penalty."

"You would be surprised about the outcome. Jose pleaded guilty, which determined my fate as well. Because of it, the Magic Council deemed Fairy Tail innocent and decided against any punishment."

Makarov laughed, "He sure did turn things in our favour by confessing his wrongdoings." Followed by a hiccup, the guild already knew he had gotten drunk.

Erza gave Jellal and Simon a quizzical look. "Why would he plead guilty? He still could've gotten away with disbanding our guild. Did he have a change of heart?"

From the look on Jellal's face, Simon knew the answer all too well. "Doubtful. Jellal must have said something."

"I may have offered a word or two to him."

Erza was in deep thought, wondering if Simon knew what Jellal was talking about. If he did, he gave no sign of showing he had such knowledge.

Mirajane clapped her hands together, approaching the trio. "In any case, we got the best possible outcome. It must have been a long day."

Natsu wailed, diverting the attention away from the court trial. "Tell me about it, that Laxus jerk didn't even fight me!"

Upon hearing the name, it stirred interest within Jellal. "Laxus dropped by earlier?"

"He did," Erza confirmed with a hardened voice. "It was very unpleasant, needless to say."

"JERK! Never even fought me properly!" Natsu repeated louder.

Jellal clasped a hand on Natsu's shoulder. The young mage mumbled incoherently, getting fired up over Laxus. "No person fights fairly these days, Natsu. You have to come up with tricks to outsmart your enemy."

Erza smirked, "Makes me question your credibility as a Wizard Saint, Jellal."

He couldn't say anything, being guilty of cheating his way around magic. Though, nobody could blame him. He was a prodigy in all the magic he learned.

Millianna and Sho grinned widely, "She's got you good."

Mirajane approached the S-Class wizards and handed the job request to Erza, pushing Lucy along. The blonde was afraid her request for Erza to accompany her would sound too demanding.

Her intimidation came nowhere near close to the Requip Mage, and everyone else knew that.

"Lucy would like you to accompany her in this job request." Mirajane pointed to the title, which got Erza's mind working many brilliant ideas. The spark startled even Jellal.

"A...play?" Erza mouthed, sounding like the job was too good to be true. "Jellal, look. It's a play. We should take part in it!"

Lucy paused, "We?"

Jellal's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Erza, I have never taken part in a play. I would be a bad asset to this mission."

"Nonsense, I can teach you everything you need to know!"

"I wanna come!" Natsu and Gray chimed, before eyeing each other irritatingly. This resulted in another brawl between them, one that Erza would not interfere with. The job request had grabbed Erza's attention with a few words written on the paper.

"I suppose if they're going, you will not need me as an actor."

Erza tugged at his shoulder, "We are going."

At his silence, she tried again. "Please? It'll be a fun experience."

And finally, much to everyone's relief, he conceded. "Alright."

She turned to Simon. "Want to join us?"

The mage backed down, wary about Erza's insistence. "No thanks. I'll make sure to attend your debut, though."

Lucy pursed her lips, against having many people go in case they wanted to split the reward. She needed to get the full handsome sum of money from the owner of this theatre. "I'm still going to get all the money, right?"

Little did she know, it would be weeks of work before she got her payment.

The next morning, the mages met at the train station's platform. Nobody questioned the excessive size of Erza's luggage. Jellal could make out the costumes, and wondered why she went to such lengths to pack essentials they would be provided at the theatre.

Natsu backed away when he laid eyes on the method of transportation, a good old train. Ultimately, he decided a train was the only con that outweighed everything else about this mission.

He clutched his stomach and announced, "I can't do this anymore."

He spun on his heel, only to be dragged back to the station platform. Lucy grabbed him by his scarf, halting his movements. "You'd better not screw this up for me! I need that rent money!"

In the compartment, where Lucy asked Erza to drag the Dragon Slayer into, Natsu took the window seat, while Happy flew into the spot beside him, studying the mage in amusement.

Jellal bent to Natsu's level, studying his contorted countenance. "Feeling sick?"

The strangled noises that escaped his mouth confirmed Jellal's suspicions, and the train had not even moved yet.

Jellal was no expert in how to recover from motion sickness, something Erza seemed to know how to deal with.

And of course, she went with technique number one: punching Natsu in the gut.

Her physical strength was no farfetched tale. Jellal had seen firsthand that she was on par with him, if not, more powerful and passionate about combat than he was.

Erza sat in front of him, staring intently into Jellal's hazel eyes. He almost seemed melancholic. "Something the matter?"

"Nothing at all. Why, am I ruining the mood?"

The scarlet haired mage leaned against the window sill and stared out into the moving landscape. "You seem unlike your usual self. It's not hard to read your emotions."

At this, he smiled. "I thought Telepathy was the only way to acquire such information."

Proud. Erza was strong, proud, and confident, in ways he could not compare to anyone else. She smugly replied, "Call it a natural instinct."

She had a knack for understanding people, and if the Magic Council ever considered her as a councillor, she could climb the ranks easily and become a chairwoman. She had the ability to bring justice in Fiore, because it was the motto she went by in Fairy Tail.

It was unlike any trait he had seen in a person.

Staring out the window, Erza whispered lowly, only for Jellal's ears. "I still don't understand how you managed to land Master Jose in jail. He doesn't seem the type to give up so easily."

"It wasn't all me, Erza. I'm assuming Chairman Crawford pushed him into pleading guilty. Jose hardly heeds anyone's advice, least of all, mine."

"I thought we found out that Chairman Crawford was our enemy when we visited Mercurius. Yet, he imprisoned Master Jose, and deemed Fairy Tail innocent. That doesn't add up."

"It does," he countered. "Jose had information he was not supposed to know. If he revealed it, the councillors would realize there's a traitor in the Magic Council. When questioned about it during the trial, I told them about the information Jose sought. That's when they understood someone among us was working with him.

"I'm sure you can guess who was relaying information to him."

Erza came to a realization, one that shocked both her and Jellal at the first discovery. "Crawford. If the chairman imprisoned him, he would be less likely appear as the perpetrator." All her understandings gave rise to more questions. "Is that why he held you hostage?"

Her eyes burnt with hatred for Jose, and they pleaded for Jellal to give an answer. Jellal confirmed her suspicions with a nod. "I'm not sure if that was the motive behind the war, but he was after information. My capture was pure coincidence, he had assumed I would not join the war."

"All the more reason to act quickly. Chairman Crawford knows you suspect him to be the traitor. He'll do anything to get rid of you."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Not if I get rid of him first."

Erza raised an eyebrow, "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Jose. He's the final piece of evidence. If I can get him to talk, Crawford will be excommunicated from his position for good."

"That is, if you can get him to speak. If he didn't bail the chairman out during the court trial, how will he say anything now?"

Jellal gave it a thought, and realized the situation was more complicated than he imagined. "I'll find a way. Maybe if I give him something in return, he'll comply."

"Like what?"

"A shorter jail sentence. Of course, I need to get the others to agree to my plan."

Sensing his confusion and the need for assurance, Erza placed a hand on top of his and squeezed it gently. "I trust you, Jellal. I'll do my best to help you gather evidence."

"I'm not sure we can do it, Erza. We're only two people trying to get rid of the most powerful man in the magical body."

"We'll do it. I know we can."

"Why is there a crowd surrounding us?" Lucy asked, stepping out of the train. All the people were peeking at them, trying to perceive their appearance. Erza surveyed the area and found a lot of the people making eye contact with her.

Apparently, the war with Phantom Lord became a popular topic, which had caught the attention of both mages and non-mages.

The crowds grew larger every agonizing moment Lucy spent waiting on Jellal and Natsu. Erza had requipped into her Black WIng Armour, grabbing Lucy and Happy.

From behind, the blonde peeked to find Jellal catching up to her, holding a drowsy Natsu in his arms. Lucy panicked, "What's going on?"

"We have unwanted company," Erza answered, heaving her lungs out as she raced to the theatre alongside Gray and Jellal. Gray had found a way to make up for his lack of speed by creating a sled.

When they reached an abandoned part of Onibus, Erza set the exceed and Celestial Mage down. Jellal had already recovered Natsu, trying to get him to walk properly.

Gray caught up after destroying the sled, running a hand through his hair. "That was ridiculous. Now we have to hide ourselves from the public? I know we attract audiences, but this was something else."

"Must've been because of Jellal," Lucy assumed, implying his status on the Magic Council and as a Wizard Saint attracted crowds.

Jellal studied the streets of the town. "Erza's feats in the war became publicized in the newspapers. I'm assuming that's why we drew attention."

"You give me too much credit. I'm sure the war stirred up complications between the people."

Gray eyed Erza suspiciously. "You were a monster, Erza. Jupiter, Aria, and Jose."

The mages concurred, proving Jellal's point.

They stayed within the alley for several moments until the streets cleared up. Contrary to what they believed, the theatre across them was completely empty.

Lucy studied the roles written on the job request, waving it in the air to grab everyone's attention. "Hey, guys. We need to figure out our roles. There are less roles than us mages."

At this, Jellal beamed at the news. He had no interest in performing, nor did he want to make an appearance. "Perfect, that means I'll be in charge of backstage."

"No," Gray protested, pointing at Happy. "This little guy doesn't count. He probably won't even fit in the costumes."

Happy sniffled, "Are you...making fun of me because I'm tiny? How could you be so cruel, Gray!?" he dramatically cried.

"Nice job, Gray," chimed Lucy, like she would whenever he made Mirajane cry.

After dealing with Happy's commotion, Erza turned to Jellal, "Looks like you're going to have to take his place. Happy can manage backstage."

"I'll find a way to get out of this, somehow." He mumbled inaudibly.

Outside the building, they were met by a tiny man wearing a red suit with purple hair. He peeked at them from behind a pillar, intimidated by the presence of a Wizard Saint and the infamous Fairy Tail mages. "My name is Rabian, and I am the chairman of the theatre. Are you the performers who accepted this job request?"

Erza nodded, "Yes, we're wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. We are at your service, sir."

"Oh, goodie!" he hopped out of his hiding spot very enthusiastically. He ushered the group to follow them into the back room of the building.

"In we go." Erza dragged the entire group backstage, having been the only one looking forward to this since yesterday. Jellal stumbled along the way, unlike himself. Erza's hold on him allowed her to maneuver his movements to her whim.

Inside the backroom, Rabian ushered for them to take a seat and applauded, "I am so delighted you've decided to help me out. Thank you so very much!"

Happy blurted out, "What's he thanking us for?"

"You see, the actors left me after being humiliated, just like my wife! Oh, the pain! Now, this theatre is all I hold dear. But that's all in the past, thank you so very much!"

Jellal found the part about his wife superfluous, but it invoked emotion within his friend. Erza stood up compassionately. "Say no more, sir. We'd be more than happy to perform this play!"

The so-called singing that followed the statement left the mages speechless. It sounded more like Erza was pronouncing her vowels rather than singing.

Rabian expressed his irritation when he observed all the wizards were inexperienced when it came to performing. "I was expecting professional actors, but these lofty mages will do."

Gray deadpanned, "This is when you're supposed to thank us."

After practicing for a week, everyone had gotten their roles figured out, with the interference of Jellal, of course. He insisted on modifying the original play, convincing Rabian that original plays were not creative. Having mistaken Jellal as a professional script writer, he handed the job over to the Wizard Saint, allowing him to rewrite the play as he seemed fit.

Jellal smiled in content. The play was made entirely to his liking, and Lucy was grateful he scraped many scenes. He scratched out the original scene where Lady Yanderica would be awakened by the kiss of Prince Frederick. He wanted the focus to be on Lady Yanderica becoming the lead after much insistence from the blonde.

After revising the play, he thought the proposal for children was abrupt, to say the least, since the two characters would have just met. And the final change was to remove Sienhart, who Jellal did not want to play the role of. Well, there was Natsu, but he fit the role of a dragon much better.

He had to admit Erza was born an actress unlike the other mages. She was passionate about her role and sounded like a real prince. At one point, she did not need her script, surprising even Lucy, who wondered how she memorized such a lengthy play.

Natsu and Gray would sourly pout when they peeked through the curtains and watched Erza rehearse. They were too engrossed by her acting skills that neither of them practiced their lines. Instead, everyone took notes about Erza's skills.

Then came the day they were supposed to perform.

While rehearsing for their debut, Rabian barged in with a wide smile. "You have fans outside."

Everyone was surprised to find the former mages from Phantom Lord, Galuna Island friends, and their very own guild standing before them.

Jellal paled when he made eye contact with one of his fellow council members. "Yajima, what are you doing here?"

"When I heard you were going to take part in the play, I just had to come watch. I never knew you were into the arts, Jellal."

"I suppose I gave it a try for the experience. My role is to oversee everything. I have written the script. I think true art in theatrical performances lie within their eloquent language."

The old man gave a sound of approval. "I agree, good literature should be appreciated."

Gray had been speaking to the visitors from Galuna, while Erza noticed her closest friends accompany her. She remembered there had been a point in time when the guild referred to them as Team Jellal. The thought made her smile.

"I'm rooting for you, Erzy!" hollered Millianna, waving crazily at her best friend. Simon followed with a small nod of acknowledgement.

Erza waved back at both of them, excited to impress her personal audience. She had encouraged them to come all the way to Onibus just for this, and they had made the trip for her.

Mirajane approached the mage, preparing for her big debut. "You seem really excited to perform."

The S-Class mage enthusiastically stretched out, "Naturally, it's time I put my talents into good use."

"Yes, I'm very excited to see how this play will turn out. Believe me, I've been waiting for this day to come."

Once she noticed Jellal was finished speaking with Yajima, Mirajane approached the Wizard Saint with much ambition.

"I must say, I never expected you to take part in this, Jellal. How did Erza change your mind?"

Jellal returned Mirajane's grin with one of his own. "I was offered an alternative. Now I'm directing the play instead of taking part in it."

"You must really dislike performing."

"I've never done it. You could say I'm not interested in it. Besides, nobody can rival Erza's performance. She might end up becoming the main lead if she keeps this up."

"Very interesting. I assume Lucy is the main lead?"

Jellal nodded, "As per her request, yes."

"It would've been amusing to see you perform, but I guess this version of the play will also appease to my entertainment."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Behind their civilized conversation, they both were challenging each other. Jellal had never let her off the hook ever since she decided to make herself an enemy out of Erza. They sometimes had their quarrels.

Lucy lamented over her luck—specifically the company she surrounded herself within. She always seemed to be in the middle of people who did not have common sense. After bickering with former Phantom Lord members who claimed Happy was a red dog, Lucy questioned her sanity. Worst of all, Natsu did not make any effort to correct Sue. He was too busy salivating over a slice of raw steak she brought for Happy.

"Break a leg!" yelled the spectators. Lucy almost collapsed after struggling to get into her dress. Her whines went unnoticed by the entirety of the crowd, frustrating her.

The theatre had a full house after three whole years, which excited Rabian. "Oh my! This is almost unbelievable!" he turned to his performers, who were ready to get onto the stage and take the spotlight in front of hundreds of people.

"Wizard Saint, I hope you do a good job at directing this play. I've never seen a packed theatre in so long."

Jellal couldn't hide his smile. After all, he wrote a script for the first time in his life, and it turned out to flow smoothly. He was convinced he could write anything, from diplomatic reports to children storybooks. "I assure you there's nothing you need to modify. My script is written as eloquently as possible. The crowd will be pleased."

Erza's slender hand clasped his shoulder. "The remodified version is more intriguing than the original plot. Splendid job, Jellal."

Lucy didn't think a Wizard Saint would need praise from another person to be confident in his talents. Lucy had to admit, she hadn't expected Jellal to have a talent for writing. It was worth considering having him edit her storybook. She knew Levy would spoil the plot to the others if she allowed her friend to continue revising her book. Typical Levy.

Jellal watched the S-Class mage peek behind the curtain, separating the stage and backstage room. "Are you nervous, Erza?"

"No, I'm rather excited to perform in front of a crowd."

"You'll do a great job."

Lucy dreamily sighed, wondering if she would ever have a friendship like Erza and Jellal. It would probably take years, seeing that the guild spoke about their long history.

"Did something happen, Lucy?" asked Lyra, the spirit she summoned for the opening of the play.

"Oh, nothing." Lucy tapped the Celestial Spirit's hat cheerfully. "Go do your best out there."

The Celestial Spirit nodded, going on stage with her harp, fingers ready to play.

Shortly when the crowd quieted down, the curtains slowly rose, and the harp started playing, with Lyra singing shortly after. "Ages, long ago...there lived a prince, alone. His heart cried out, its echo returned."

Yajima admired the singing, "That girl has such a lovely voice."

"Agreed," sighed Master Bob.

"-in a distant land. Sooo far away." A spotlight revealed a gleaming Erza, who looked as charming as the character she played. Lyra kept on singing in the background as people commented about Erza's beauty.

A little girl stared at Erza in awe, "Wow, that prince is so dreamy."

The mages behind the stage stared in awe. Natsu and Gray gasped at the compliments being showered upon Erza. Jellal's smile of satisfaction could not rival anyone else's happiness. "She's really doing it," Gray said in disbelief.

The opening song faded away into a final melodic pull at the strings, and all that remained on the stage was Erza and her blade. After a few moments of remaining in her spot, Jellal peeked more closely, wondering why she hadn't spoke up. He found her trembling, worrying him. From the sides, he could see her going blue.

Gray watched the mess unravel with unease, "This isn't good."

"She's totally freezing up!" half-yelled Lucy.

Jellal looked around for Rabian, but saw no sign of the director. "We need to help her by improvising." He explained, concerned about her wellbeing rather than the audience's offhanded comments.

Erza didn't bother looking at the audience. She fixated her orbs to the roof. "Here ye, here ye. Oh. My name...I...am a prince! I came to save the princess! Ah- ha..."

"We have to bring in the other actors to help the plot move forward." Jellal turned to Lucy, who surveyed the stage before pointing at herself in disbelief.

Within the audience, many concerns arose about the incomprehensible script. "Meat gone bad!" hollered the chicken, seated next to Bora.

Bora crossed his arms, finding the scene to be somewhat hypnotic. From what he heard about Erza, she could fight a battle for death without fear. And now, she had the severe case of stage fright. "What a stiff performance."

After seeing Erza's power in the war against his former guild, Boze disagreed. "Nah, I bet ya she's just acting nervous."

Sue concurred with her brother, "I bet you she's using that Lamaze technique." For someone not skilled in combat, Bora thought she had a deep understanding about the arts and the psychology behind it.

Bora narrowed his eyes at the siblings. "You're not bright, huh?"

Back on the stage, Erza wasn't faring any better. "And I wield the power of- of-"

Erza repeated the same line over and over, to which Millianna mouthed, "Oh no."

Lucy flipped through the pages and pinpointed the passage, staring at it intently. "That line is from a completely different scene!"

Happy held his paw out. "Erza's so nervous, I'm not even sure she's breathing."

"You can tell," Jellal agreed apprehensively, "her face is practically blue."

"Well Jellal, what are we going to do?" asked Gray.

"We'll go along with it. Lucy, you're up."

Lucy took the rope and wrapped it around herself, allowing Happy to raise her into the ceiling before lowering her onto the stage.

Erza's eyes were seeing stars as she summoned her weapons. "And I wield the power...because I have ten swords!" she used her telekinesis and scattered her weapons across the theatre. Many people in the crowd shrilled as the swords came at them full speed. It took all the magic users in the room to stop the weapons from stabbing innocent people.

The only person excited was the pirate who grew fond of Erza the moment she hijacked his ship. "Bravissimo me beauty!" he yelled.

"Well, that's different," commented the guild master of Quatro Cerberus.

"Who knew the theatre was such a dangerous place." Agreed Yajima.

Mirajane was delighted with how the play was turning out. It seemed Jellal's well thought out script was being improvised because of Erza's shortcomings. "Isn't this exciting?"

Within seconds, Lucy was lowered down, secured by a rope around her small frame. "Oh Prince Frederick, how great of you to come save me. I'm stuck in the fiendish clutches of that brute Sienhart."

Confused, Jellal revisited the script. He had made sure to remove Sienhart from the play entirely. Looking through it, he confirmed that he removed Sienhart for good.

Now, they would be compromising for two people, instead of just Erza. And perhaps all the Fairy Tail mages, if things continued on this way.

"So now what?" deadpanned Gray. "I'm a Julius."

Jellal placed a hand on his temple in deep thought. "We need a Sienhart, don't we? Well, that's what we're going to get."

Natsu peeked behind the curtain and gawked at the miracle he was witnessing. "Don't tell me Jellal is going on-stage to perform? Speaking of which, when is it my turn?"

"Shut your trap!" yelled Lucy, loud enough so Natsu could hear but the audience couldn't.

Multiple magic rays interrupted Erza's trance. Erza dodged a few of them with flawless back flips. Her eyes immediately went alert, scanning the stage. She couldn't help but notice the magic didn't do much damage.

When the remnants of magic energy cleared, there revealed Jellal, who was responsible for the ambush. "Were you looking for me, Prince Frederick?"

The entrance shocked both the audience and Erza. She announced his name when she saw him make an appearance. Many of the people suddenly became captivated as the plot's tension grew.

Mirajane rested her face against a hand, "Well this is certainly a turn of events."

She caught onto the purpose of his appearance, to improvise for what Erza was lacking.

Erza stared at him with wide eyes. He looked like the prince of this play. "Jellal...Sienhart. I didn't expect to see you here."

Jellal found himself creating a dozen ways to counter her. He wasn't exactly sure how a villain with a subordinate was supposed to approach an enemy. Perhaps they would call their sidekick right away? Or maybe they would test the waters with villain? Jellal went with the first option, needing more time to formulate a plan.

Millianna adjusted her kitty ears on her head, unamused with the lack of romantic elements. She had Jellal to blame for that. "I thought this was supposed to be a love story between Lady Yanderica and Prince Frederick."

Sho observed the two, "This play doesn't even make sense."

Simon continued watching intently, glad that he made the decision to not accompany them. He was sure he would have the cold case of stage fright, like Erza, making the experience unpleasant and embarrassing.

Jellal continued in his stoic voice, trying to impersonate a villain. It came out much gentler than the audience expected, considering he made such a destructive entrance. "In order to get to Lady Yanderica, you will have to go through my subordinate, Julius."

Erza raised her blade at him. "I accept your challenge."

Jellal exited the stage casually, confusing the audience all the more. Gray appeared before her, glimmering in the spotlight like another version of Prince Frederick. "I am the great Julius! If you want to get to the princess, you'll have to cross paths with me. Prepare to meet your doom, my Sword of Ice!"

Erza stiffly held her arm out with a sword in hand. "Very well, then. I shall attack you...with my Ten Swords!"

After summoning ten swords around her within seconds, she unexpectedly sent them flying to Gray—who ran once he predicted Erza's strategy. He knew better than to mess with her.

Sue watched in amusement, "Looks like Julius got cold feet."

Jellal reentered the scene, spiking interest within the anticipating audience. "I suppose I will have to take care of you myself."

Studying his left hand, Erza noticed he was using Gray's Sword of Ice, which prompted a smile. She no longer saw this as a play, but rather, a battle between her and Jellal, just like in her younger years. He hadn't honed a sword for years, which made her feel victorious in this battle.

Erza rushed towards him with her blade in hand, knocking Jellal off his feet. She had him pinned to the floor, with a smug smile on her face. She leaned down and asked in a whisper, "What are you doing on the stage?"

"I have to modify the script because not all is going according to plan."

He used his legs to knock Erza off of him. They both continued their battle with mild swings, speaking to each other. "I confess I did not expect stage fright to become an issue."

"Since when did anything go according to plan?"

She hummed at his implication, watching their swords clash against each other.

"Like...this?" she swung her leg and struck his abdomen, surprising everyone.

Jellal flew across the stage and landed with a thud and hiss on the floor. Realizing why Jellal seemed so surprised about being kicked—in the stomach might she add—she stood up and blushed in embarrassment. He was still recovering from the injury that led him to the brink of death. "Oh no! He's still injured and I-" she was at a loss of words, rushing to Jellal's side. "Are you okay?"

Jellal turned his head towards her as she planted a sword beside him. "I'm fine." She was astounded at his calm demeanour, despite the fact that a sword was mere inches from his face.

"But I kicked you!" she squeaked. "You're injured, I'm sorry!"

"It's fine. You took everybody by surprise. I'm impressed, you took me completely by surprise."

The audience watched them whisper incoherently to each other, which caused a lot of speculation from the viewers.

Back to the centre of attention, Lucy interrupted Jellal and Erza, who were in an awkward position. "Prince Frederick! You've finally defeated him!"

"Uh, yes? I mean- yes, I have!" she got up from Jellal and approached the princess, freeing her from the rope while Jellal lay there in defeat, laughing to himself at the odds of acting when he didn't want to.

Erza knelt down on one knee in front of Lucy and extended a hand. "Lady Yanderica, please, let's get married and have many children. Like...thirty-three!"

Jellal eyes widened when he apprehended the absurd request. Thirty-three!?

The audience turned to him, surprised by the awakening of the villain. He backed away from the supposedly romantic moment until he was offstage. Then he tried doing the calculations. It's nearly impossible to have thirty-three babies, even if a woman were to give birth at Erza's age while having them back to back. Unless they were having twins every time.

He studied Erza for a long moment. Does she really want that many children?

"You're jumping the gun, don't you think?" commented a member in the audience.

Makarov studied the audience's reaction, then stared back at Erza, having not backed down. "These modern plays are pretty surreal. Hm..."

Yajima smiled, "I'm enjoying it."

Mirajane nodded in agreement. "Me too, they're such brilliant actors."

Gray walked back onto the stage in the midst of the chaos. The play had been going back on track now that the romantic confession occurred. "The calm before the storm shall endeth noweth."

"Look, it's Julius!"

"Is noweth even a word?" blurted a spectator.

"Death awaits thou, now come forth and char him, my dragon!"

"That's my cue!" announced Natsu, entering the stage in the form of a dragon. Above him, Happy was carrying the Dragon Slayer with a great degree of difficulty.

Gray had not once compromised, which had come across as a relief to Jellal.

Everyone gasped in horror when they witnessed Natsu spitting fire. "I'm a powerful dragon, I will destroy you all!"

"There he is!" the ex-Phantom mages exclaimed in unison.

"Red doggy!" added Sue.

Happy struggled to soar through the air with Natsu in the dragon costume, which was tenfold his weight.

"Let's vanquish this beast!" proclaimed Erza.

Gray conceded, "Yes, we shall slay it!"

The audience were muddled at Gray's contradictory statement. "You summoned it, genius!"

Lucy held out her Zodiac Keys, "I'll handle this myself, you two get to safety!"

Erza and Gray looked at each other, then ran backstage almost comically. "Thanks, we owe you one!"

Gray collapsed onto the floor as Erza made her way to the backstage faster than him. Jellal waited for them, watching the remainder of the play with his arms crossed.

"I thought I removed the part about the marriage and children proposal. If I recall correctly, thirty-three was not the number of children asked in the original play."

Erza stiffened yet again. "I forgot you took that part out. The next time we perform, I'll follow your script entirely."

"I suppose the more ludicrous an idea, the greater the audience heeds attention."

When Jellal looked at the stage again, he did not expect to see a large dragon on the floor roaring flames and setting the place on fire, while the audience sat in their seats, perfectly calm.

It's almost as if they grew accustomed to the Fairy Tail way. Did these mages really have such an affect on people? It was worth considering.

In a matter of seconds, Lucy's dress was also on fire. She ran around in circles, as if she would successfully evade the fire.

"AHH! HELP! I'm on fire!" she yelped. "Gray, I need ice!"

Gray prepared to cast a spell, "I'll save you, Ice-Make-" Erza interrupted him by leaping on the ice wizard like a diving board and gracefully landed on the floor, all the while slicing Lucy's dress into mini patches of pink.

"She cut up my dress!" shrieked a flustered Lucy.

Jellal watched with a plain face as chaos erupted. He didn't even know where to start. For instance, Erza's trick proved to be more problematic, rather than a solution. Gray's magic would've been much more effective in helping Lucy. Then again, for plot purposes, it wouldn't make sense if Julius assisted her.

Then his gaze shifted to the roaring crowd. Many of the men attended the play with their partner. So pray tell why almost every man was shamelessly staring at Lucy? Their behaviour was indecent, but nobody could even come close to the many perversions of Fairy Tail wizards. Jellal would find magazines littered on the guildhall floor, where a bunch of middle-aged men would gather and discuss women in a very lewd manner. The idea was insulting to the female population, which is why Erza taught them a good lesson.

The councillor sighed loudly, "I did not think the play could get more bizarre."

Erza used her green cape to cloth Lucy, holding her hand. "Princess, how are you feeling? Do you now feel alright?"

"How did you end up getting the lead in this play!?"

The attack left Natsu squashed in a corner, tears brimming his eyes as he lay on the stage with his dragon costume. "Ow, that hurt!" with an animalistic howl, he produced more flames in the room, causing the audience to scream while the fire alarm went off. Finally, Jellal stopped worrying for the people's sanity. They finally perceived the threat of fire. Death.

Gray held a fist to his open palm. "Geez Natsu, would you cut it out?"

The sudden appearance of Taurus threw Gray off his feet, who would've landed on Jellal if the Wizard Saint hadn't sidestepped the incoming mage. He remained calm and collected, much to Gray's surprise.

"Jellal, we're in the middle of a catastrophe, and you're just reading the script?"

"Well yes, I should modify it since today's play was quite...interesting, to say the least. Consider this a practice run."

"A-and you're not at all concerned about the citizens' safety?"

"Well," Jellal concluded, closing the book and looking at Gray, "this is the Fairy Tail way. I'm positive Erza's got this all under control."

"You're kidding, right?" he pointed to Erza, who remained paralyzed in the middle of the room. Unable to comprehend the situation, she remained in a daze, just like Jellal.

They both glanced at Taurus, who made a ridiculous claim about Lucy. "Oh yeah, the princess' hot body totally moo-ves me."

Again, the crowd of shameless men cheered on, with Mirajane calming them down. Jellal would've told them to pipe down had he not been occupied with the damage being caused by the bull. Gray slipped away and started a fight with Natsu, while Jellal observed his own play go down in history. Particularly Erza, who was trying to process everything that just happened.

"I have...no...choice. Punishment- awaits. All of you scoundrels!" Erza rushed towards the two fighting mages and split the theatre in half with the damage her sword caused. The building was in ruins by the time Erza held Natsu's costume over her head, threatening to throw him at Gray.

"I knew it!" cried Lucy, surveying her surroundings. The building was no longer a theatre, but a pile of rubble which would soon become known as a historical site that Fairy Tail had the audacity to destroy.

Makarov and Yajima emerged from the mess unharmed. "Why does this keep happening?" asked the guild master to nobody in particular.

Yajima told his friend, "Maki, take my advice and retire soon."

"Oh my!" squealed Mirajane, impressed with how the play turned out. It was more eventful than what she expected, and Mirajane was not about to complain about it.

"The curse of the moon is to blame!" hollered the leader of Galuna Island.

Rabian enjoyed the unexpected entertainment. He came out from behind the pillar. "They loved us, yes!"

The surrounding area around Jellal remained unscathed. He simply remained in his spot, pondering over what should be done.

After careful consideration, Jellal tore the script in half. "A script was a substandard idea from the beginning."

Millianna and Sho were laughing by the time everyone recovered from the damage sustained to the ruinous building. It soon turned into crying after the chaos that ensued.

Wally and Simon emerged from the collapse of the theatre without an injury. Simon considered using his magic to help restore the building, but decided against it. It would be nicer if the site was commemorated to Fairy Tail for their destructive ways.

The crowd was cheering and roaring in laughter, and Jellal seemed content with how everything turned out. The unexpected had left him in awe, despite being prepared for the worst.

It wasn't until Erza came to his side and showed him around the collapsed structure that he knew they created a meaningful memory.

He did not regret her decision to bring him along.